An eight-week consultation on the first draft of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework has opened today, gathering views on the strategy to deliver up to 230,000 new homes and 110m sq ft of commercial space across the city region over the next 20 years.

The 225-page paper was published earlier this month, and is the first time a statutory planning blueprint has been produced for all 10 local authorities in the city region. The plan is expected to be adopted in 2018, subject to further consultation in 2017 and a final vote by council leaders and the new city region mayor.

Views submitted during the consultation, which runs until 23 December, will be considered and a final draft will be published in 2017.

While the framework is still in draft form, the submission of additional sites from developers will still be accepted.

The bulk of new housing allocation will be on brownfield sites, with a town and city centre first approach. However, 28% will be on Green Belt, equating to 63,616 homes on land previously protected from development by 2035.

Bury is the hardest hit, taking 20% of Green Belt out of protection, followed by 11% in Trafford.

The draft was approved at a meeting of the GMCA executive which took place on Friday 28 October, in which councillors called the framework “a once in a lifetime opportunity” to provide homes for a growing population and further space for businesses in the city region.